Background: Migrant domestic workers (MDW) face a heightened risk of poor mental health while working abroad, partly due to perceived discrimination. Social networks, including cognitive and structural social capital and perceived social support, are often viewed as protective. However, findings are mixed, with some studies reporting paradoxical effects, namely higher social capital or support associated with worse mental health. The objective of this study is to assess whether social capital and social support moderate the association between perceived discrimination and symptoms of anxiety and depression among Filipino MDWs in Macao, China.
Methods: A total of 1,362 Filipino MDWs in Macao completed self- administered surveys between November 2016 and August 2017, using respondent-driven sampling. Demographics, perceived discrimination, anxiety and depression, cognitive and structural social capital, and perceived social support were collected. Multiple linear regression assessed the association between perceived discrimination and mental health, and tested moderation by social capital and social support.
Results: Perceived discrimination was positively associated with both depression (β=0.22, P<0.001) and anxiety (β=0.20, P<0.001). Structural social capital showed a positive independent association with depressive symptoms (β=0.07, P=0.003), whereas cognitive social capital was independently associated with higher anxiety symptoms (β=0.24, P=0.041). Perceived social support showed no significant difference with either mental health outcome. No moderating effects of social capital or social support were observed in the association between perceived discrimination and mental health.
Conclusions: Perceived discrimination is a robust predictor of anxiety and depression among Filipino MDWs. While elements of social capital were independently associated with mental health outcomes, these associations varied by domain and outcome, and no buffering effects were found for social capital or social support. Further research is needed to explore the roles of social networks in this population and to inform interventions aimed at reducing discrimination and strengthening social resources.
